OVERVIEW: Eleanor
West’s Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through
the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit
holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they
change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well.
And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around
each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates
to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost.

FORMAT: Every
Heart A Doorway is an urban fantasy/fantasy novella. It stands at 173
pages and was published by Tor on April 5, 2016.

Even though it is ultimately an 'adult' novel, Every
Heart A Doorway could be appropriate for a more mature teenage audience.
There are some graphic scenes involving dead bodies and some topics (such as
the main character being asexual or the secondary character being transgender)
that may make it not appropriate for some audiences.

ANALYSIS: Some
books have that unique ability to capture your attention instantly. Every
Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire was one of those book. I was barely
three pages into the book and I was already immersed in the world and forming
an emotional bond with our first main character – Nancy.

Every Heart A Doorway tells the captivating tale about a
boarding school for young adults between the ages of 12 and 18, but unlike
regular boarding schools this one is designed as a rehabilitation center of
sorts. All of the young adults who are present at the school have at one point
in time journeyed to alternate fantasy worlds. These worlds include everything
from lands with fairies and unicorns and rainbows or Wonderland weird worlds,
to just plain scary/horror universes or the land of the dead.

All of the children at the school are struggling with one
major problem – they want to go back to their fantasy world, but they have been
cast out from it and it might not happen. This has caused all the children to
experience what can only be described as PTSD-like symptoms. Of course, the
children also have to deal with other "real life" issues, such as
forming relationships, dealing with parents, navigating the scary world of high
school, and overcoming bullying.

Nancy, our main character of the story, is a new student at
the boarding school. Unfortunately, right as she arrives at the school murders
start happening. Every Heart A Doorway follows Nancy and her new friends as they
work to find themselves, solve a mystery, and work to potentially find their
hidden doorway that will lead them back to their fantasy world.

Every Heart A Doorway may seem – from its description – to be a
light, fluffy fantasy novel, but it emotional and dark. Many of the characters
are struggling with extreme emotional issues and various problems, which leads
to a disturbing/creepy feel to the novel.

One of the amazing things about Every Heart A Doorway was
how detailed almost all the characters were. This is only a 170 page novella,
but every character from Nancy to the secondary characters of Jack and Jill,
was fleshed out and felt real. A pretty amazing feat when you consider the
novel also had to create a world/backstory and progress the current plot all in
170 pages.

Characters weren't the only extremely well-thought out or
creative element. I was intrigued with the whole hidden door/alternative
universe concept, which was extremely detailed and fascinating to me. I
probably could have read an entire 400 page novel on just this concept alone,
but it was extremely well-done given the short page count.

While I did enjoy the novel, I have to admit the murder
mystery part of it fell flat for me. The mystery element comes in about a
quarter of the way through the novel and it never really felt well developed.
It had a very rushed feel to it, especially when things were solved and
everything was 'wrapped up'.

Despite the clunky or rushed feeling at the end of the
novel, I was impressed with Every Heart a Doorway. It certainly
isn't your light, fluffy Narnia/Wonderland novel, even though it seems like it
might be from the overview. It is a novel that is emotionally engaging, unique,
and creepy/weird.

While it may not be my top read for the year, it certainly
is up there. I would recommend Every Heart a Doorwayto fantasy lovers who are looking for
something unique or for those that have ever wondered how characters reacted
when they left their fantasy world and returned to their real lives.